Arthritis investigator first to receive grant awards, opens new study

Two grant awards have earned arthritis investigator Dr. Inmaculada del Rincón nearly $900,000 and the honor of becoming the first UTHSC investigator to receive either award.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute granted Dr. del Rincón the K23 Career Development Award in Patient-Oriented Research. The grant provides $655,043 over a five-year period.

Dr. del Rincón also received the Arthritis Investigator Matching Award grant, in the amount of $225,000 for a three-year period. The award is given annually by the Arthritis Foundation and the American College of Rheumatology to the researcher in the field of rheumatology whose proposal receives the highest score in the category of Arthritis Investigator.

The funds will enable her to expand her research on atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

"My long term scientific objective is to find ways to improve outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis," Dr. del Rincón said.

A number of studies, including one conducted by Dr. del Rincón, show patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher mortality rate in large part because of an increased risk of heart disease.

Dr. del Rincón is currently following a cohort of 800 rheumatoid arthritis patients. She has tracked their condition since 1996 and will continue to follow their progress through 2006.

"The goal of my research is to evaluate the role of chronic systemic inflammation as a risk factor for atherosclerosis, taking into consideration the simultaneous, competing influence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors," Dr. del Rincón said.

In addition to continuing to track her cohort, these grants will enable her to add healthy comparison subjects to her study. "I am now recruiting healthy men and women to serve as a control group. The volunteers must be over the age of 40 and willing to donate about an hour of their time. They will receive $50 for their participation."

Anyone interested in volunteering can call ext. 7-9284 or ext. 7-3089. The research will be conducted at the Bartter General Clinical Research Center.

"These grants have really been a team effort," Dr. del Rincón said. "I received help from Drs. Michael P. Stern, division of clinical epidemiology; Gregory L. Freeman, division of cardiology; Agustín Escalante, division of clinical immunology; and Robert A. Clark, chairman of the department of medicine." Dr. del Rincón also credits Dr. Michael J. Lichtenstein.

"This research will lead to better ways to treat and prevent atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, improving the care and the quality of life and lengthening life expectancy in people with these diseases," Dr. del Rincón said.

Dr. del Rincón attributes her research success to her staff. Terri Barnett, R.N.; Sherry Canto, R.N.; Nancy de la Zerda; Gloria Fuentes, R.N.; Sylvia Gonzales, R.N.; Gretchen Jackson; Myrna Montenegro; Dr. Samvel Pogosian; Sydney Rodriguez, R.N.; and Gilbert Vipraio collaborate on Dr. del Rincón's projects at the General Clinical Research Center in the Audie Murphy Division.

Dr. del Rincón is a native of Spain. She arrived at the Health Science Center in 1994 and is now assistant professor in the division of clinical immunology in the department of medicine.